There have been a number of advancements in the field of thermal management for electronic circuit boards. One innovation has been the Metal Core Printed Circuit Board (“MCPCB”). This approach utilizes a layer of thermal conductive metal, such as copper or aluminum, as the base plate for the circuit board construction. The circuits and components are electrically isolated from the base plate by a thin dielectric layer. The close proximity of the base plate to the electronic circuits and electronic components allows the heat to be dissipated from the source more effectively.
Improvement to the MCPCB approach has included using raised areas on the base plate to protrude through the dielectric layer, providing more thermal attachment options with electronic components, such as soldering or welding. Additional improvements include utilizing thermal transfer vias, made of metals such as copper or aluminum, that allow the transfer of heat through multiple circuit board layers on a single MCPCB.
MCPCBs require effective thermal management systems for the removal of heat from the base plate. Current liquid cooling systems are designed as self-contained cold plates or heat pipes that are attached to circuit boards or electronic components with methods such as soldering, thermal pastes, thermal adhesives, and mechanical systems. Unfortunately, these conventional systems introduce additional material layers between the thermal transfer fluid and circuit board, which can increase thermal resistance and act as a thermal bottleneck.